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Key to Cephalotes Species Known from Costa Rica, Based on Major Workers

The soldier of peruviensis is unknown, but will probably key near curvistriatus or setulifer. Cephalotes atratus does not have a soldier caste.


10a. Eyes situated beneath the antennal scrobe (the groove in which the antenna is concealed), which extends above it to the vertex margin: alfaroi

10b. Eyes situated behind the scrobe, which terminates in front of the eye: 50


50a. Head with complete and strongly developed cephalic disk: 100

50b. Head lacking a cephalic disk, or disk only partially developed, or if completely developed (cristatus, middle figure below) the posterior border of disk very weakly developed: 500


100a. Cephalic disk continuous anteriorly, frontal carinae meet anteriorly at a linear incision, mandibles completely hidden beneath frontal carinae: 150

100b. Cephalic disk with arcuate notch anteriorly; in full face view dorsal surface of mandibles visible in notch: 200


150a. Color largely black, with anterolateral margins of gaster yellow; cephalic disk subcircular, only slightly longer than wide: setulifer

150b. Color uniformly red brown; cephalic disk distinctly elongate: 170


170a. Surface of cephalic disk mat, granular, with deep circular foveae bearing erect, pompon-like setae: porrasi

170b. Surface of cephalic disk shiny, with shallow foveae bearing appressed, linear setae: pallens


200a. Surface of cephalic disk almost entirely orange: 250

200b. Surface of cephalic disk mostly dark brown or black, at most an anterolateral portion of the frontal carinae reddish: 350


250a. Surface of cephalic disk largely smooth and shiny: 300

250b. Surface of cephalic disk coarsely rugose: grandinosus


300a. Propodeum spinose: umbraculatus

300b. Propodeum with lateral foliaceous crest, not spinose: scutulatus


350a. Cephalic disk with foveae dense, separated by distance less then their diameters; lateral margins of posterior face of propodeum with foliaceous crest; first gastral tergite without erect setae: maculatus

350b. Cephalic disk with foveae small, separated by distance equal to or greater than their diameters; lateral margins of posterior face of propodeum carinate but without foliaceous crest; first gastral tergite with scattered short, stiff, erect setae: curvistriatus


500a. Propodeum with lateral foliaceous crest, lacking spines: multispinosus

500b. Propodeum with lateral spines, lacking foliaceous crest: 600


600a. In dorsal view, pronotum transversely elongate, much broader than long, about twice as wide as propodeum; face with weakly developed disk: cristatus

600b. In dorsal view, pronotum less transverse, less than twice as wide as propodeum: 700


700a. Anterior face of pronotum dull, not strongly shining; mandibles smoothly rounded, without differentiated lateral face and without projecting tubercle where dorsal surface meets frontal carina: minutus

700b. Anterior face of pronotum shiny; mandibles with differentiated lateral face that is flat to concave, and with dorsally projecting tubercle where dorsal surface meets frontal carina (with mandibles closed): 800


800a. At least posterior third of first gastral tergite with dense layer of appressed, foveate, silver-colored setae, giving glittered appearance: basalis

800b. First gastral tergite almost all smooth, shiny, and dark, with glittered appearance only weakly developed at anterolateral and posterior margins: cordiventris


Page author:

John T. Longino, The Evergreen State College, Olympia WA 98505 USA.longinoj@evergreen.edu


Date of this version: 27 June 2000
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